Unbreakable Bonds
by chichuna
Summary: Drabbles focusing on Lee and Clementine, the trials they face and the friendship they forged. Updated 13/6 *Spoilers! *
1. Goodnight

This was originally intended to be a one off thing, but I started getting more ideas for mini ClemLee stories. So this drabble series was born!

#1 After that ending I needed something cute and fluffy to lift my spirits, so I wrote this. Hope you enjoy! Some spoilers for the end of Episode 2.

* * *

A sense of gloom was palpable as heavy rain poured down onto the Motor Inn. It was quite a storm, lighting blazing across the sky and thunder echoing through the empty streets. Fog was gathering in the air; keeping watch was nearly impossible with this kind of weather. The only thing the group could do was wait for the storm to pass and hope for the best. Besides, with the weather this bad they certainly didn't have to worry about bandits. Walkers, however, were still a threat, rain or shine.

With nothing left to do except take cover in the Inn rooms, Lee found himself pacing the undercover walkways, the events of yesterday still buzzing in his mind. The dairy, the bastard St Johns, Mark…oh Jesus, Mark…

"Lee? Hey, Lee?"

He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Carley's warm voice, leaning against the door to her room, radio in hand. He noticed it and smirked, remembering the batteries mishap in the Pharmacy back in Macon.

"Radio working okay?" He asked, leaning beside her.

Carley shook her head, "Nah, I think it's busted." Noticing his amused expression, she chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Don't you start! I checked the batteries this time. It must be a problem with the signal. Rain's probably messing with it."

He nodded in response. The two stood there in silence. What happened at the dairy was still fresh in his mind, but he certainly didn't want to bring it up to Carley. It wasn't a pleasant topic. Then again, nothing was these days.

"Why don't you go check up on Clementine?" Carley suggested after a time, running her fingers through her hair absently, "Besides, you could use some rest too… after everything that went down back there."

He nodded in agreement, "Thanks Carley. I might do that. I'll talk to you later."

She smiled and gave him a small wave before returning to her room.

* * *

As he walked back to the room he and Clem used, it occurred to him how little he knew about looking after kids. Sure, he tried to keep her fed, protected her from the Walkers and anyone else trying to hurt her and tried to keep her positive, but was that really enough? Protecting her was one thing, taking care of her was a whole other thing. Maybe it was fine, maybe he would learn in time. In any case, they were a team, and he would stop at nothing to keep her safe, just like it had always been.

Stopping at his room, he gave it a quick knock just in case, "Clem? Clementine, it's Lee."

No answer.

Panic gripped his heart as he quickly flung the door open, scanning the room for the young girl. Sighing with relief, he found Clementine asleep, her signature hat sitting on the bedside table beside her. It was easy to get wound up over something small these days, with endless threats of death constantly looming over them.

He took up the opposite bed and tried to rest. He hadn't slept well after the Dairy incident, for good reason, so he was feeling utterly exhausted. Just as he felt himself falling into sleep, a small voice alerted him awake.

"Lee…?"

It was Clem. He opened his eyes to see her perched on the side of her bed, clutching the blankets tight.

"What's the matter, Sweet Pea? Go back to sleep…" He gave her a tired smile.

"O..okay," she replied, not moving from her spot.

A loud clap of thunder rang through the air, shaking Lee wide awake. Clementine squealed, hiding under her blankets.

"It's okay, it's okay," he reassured her, getting up and crouching next to her bedside. She poked her head out of the sheets.

"I always hated storms," she explained, "They're so loud and…and…"

Another loud clap of thunder sounded and she hid back under the sheets.

"Honey, it's not going to hurt you. It's going to be fine, okay? Be a brave girl and go back to sleep."

He wished he could do more but he didn't know what to do in this situation. Thunder wasn't something you could fight or kill; you just had to deal with it. Besides, he found himself struggling to stay awake, so when she didn't answer he fell back onto his own bed and closed his eyes.

"Lee?" she whispered, looking out from her sheets.

She got out of her bed and nudged him awake again.

"What is it Clem?" he replied tiredly, shaking himself awake again.

"C-can I sleep in your bed? With you? My..mom and dad used to let me when I was afraid. Pleaaase?"

The mention of her parents always made him feel uneasy. He knew someday he would have to tell her the painful truth; that there was practically no chance they could have survived…but he hoped to postpone that conversation until a long time. Or at least, until it was completely necessary. Her conviction in finding her parents alive almost made him believe there was some miraculous chance they would have lived…but reality was cruel and he knew that all too well from the last couple of days.

"I-…Clem…" Looking into her big pleading eyes and her frightened expression, he found that he just couldn't say no. He had to take care of her, and that meant making sure she felt safe and secure, no matter what.

Sighing, he beckoned her to climb up beside him.

"Sure, Sweet Pea. Come on then."

A smile lit up on her face and she crawled up to sit beside him. "You did always tell me to stay close to you, remember?"

He chuckled, "Yeah I did, you're right. So get some sleep now, you're safe."

"Okay…"

She yawned and settled in to the pillow, holding Lee's hand tight. Another loud clap of thunder echoed through the inn, but she barely flinched. It warmed his heart that she felt so safe under his care, but it terrified him as well. _If I ever failed her…_

Lee rubbed his eyes, trying not to think of more depressing things. He pulled her blankets over her, tucking them under her chin so she was warm.

"Thanks Lee…" she said softly, eyes heavy with sleep, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Clem."

It wasn't long before Clementine drifted off; the exhaustion of the past few days, coupled with hardly any food seemed to have taken a toll on her. He stayed awake for a time, holding the young girl in his arms while she slept soundly, safe in another world where hell wasn't waiting for them outside.

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Hope you enjoyed, reviews are most welcome!


	2. Broken

So after I finished the game (and stopped crying), a thought occurred to me. What happens if you don't take care of Clementine? As in, if you don't feed her, share hope or those things like that. (I soon found out nothing happens either way, welp). So I came up with this little tale as an alternate 'bad' ending for if you were bad to Clem. Spoilers for the end of the game.

* * *

The gun was shaking in her hands. The curve of the gun handle; the smooth, cold metal, it all felt so unnatural and wrong to her.

She raised the gun. Seconds passed… but she just couldn't bring herself to shoot him.

Clementine stared at Lee, tears welling up in her golden eyes. He was handcuffed to the radiator, breathing slow and laboured. His face was so pallid and gaunt, his eyes hollow and empty as he fought to stay human for a moment longer. She couldn't bear to see him this way. Her guardian, the one person left who cared about her, was slowly transforming, soon to be joining the ranks of her parents shuffling outside, as one of those horrible…creatures.

The world was gone; there was nothing left to save anymore. Lee had tried his best as her guardian, and she had stayed with him through all the dark times they faced. But now what? How could she face the world alone? There was no hope left, no chance left for her. Without Lee, she knew would succumb eventually to the same cruel fate as everyone she ever loved.

She raised the gun.

And Lee had to watch, watch as she lost hope in everything that mattered, lost hope in surviving, in moving forward. He had failed her, and that hurt him more than any bullet could.

"_Squeeze the trigger smoothly…nice and easy..."_

His words from the train echoed in her head, right before she pulled the trigger.

"Clem...!" he tried to scream, but he could make no sound.

And worst of all, Lee had to watch her die.

* * *

Not 100% happy with this but I thought I should post something since I've been hella busy for a while. Also who else is so excited for the DLC 400 days?! *dies of anticipation*


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